Property

New images of controversial £20m Northern Quarter glass tower released

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 15th March 2022

New CGIs have been released of Salboy’s controversial glass skyscraper in the Northern Quarter.

The striking plans will see an 18-storey, ultra-modern tower built opposite Shudehill bus station.

The building, known as Glassworks, faced plenty of opposition when plans were first lodged, with many saying it didn’t fit with the historic aesthetic of cultural hotspot the Northern Quarter.

The development comes from construction company Salboy, which is owned by billionaire bookie Fred Done, and Domis.

The Glassworks tower in the Northern Quarter – the ‘pocket park’, and the skyscraper’s entrance. Credit: Domis

Glassworks, nicknamed the ‘Shudehill Shard’, will consist of three interlinked office buildings, including a restored 1920s warehouse.

The £20m plans have also included a new pocket park with a blossom tree.

The roof terrace at Northern Quarter tower Glassworks. Credit: Domis

Domis has now shared new CGIs of how the modern skyscraper will look when it’s completed.

Looming over its Northern Quarter neighbours Scuttlers Wine Bar and the Lower Turks Head pub, the main tower will be dominated by floor-to-ceiling glass windows.

Read more: Lad accidentally eats rare ‘half and half’ Creme Egg worth £10,000

The converted warehouse and a new brick-built building will have a roof terrace for the building’s tenants, based on plans.

Domis’s post on Instagram states: “One look at these shiny new CGI’s and it is CLEAR that Glassworks on Back Turner Street is going to be one of Manchester’s most desirable workspaces.”

The project is expected to be completed in December 2022.

Featured image: Domis / Salboy

Property

New £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport given the green light

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant

Planning permission has been granted for a new ‘walkable and sustainable’ neighbourhood in Stockport town centre.

A major milestone has been reached for Stockport’s transformation, as the new mixed residential mini-village, ‘Stockport 8’ – which was put forward by the local LLP of the same name, set up as part of a partnership between Stockport Council and ECF (English Cities Fund) – has been given the green light, helping to make it one of the most sustainable and liveable town centres in the UK.

The eight-acre site is just one in a series of regeneration projects led by Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation (MDC), as part of ambitious plans to develop land west of the town centre under the ‘Town Centre West’ (TCW) scheme. 

The development is a key element of the wider £1 billion investment currently being delivered.

The plans were recommended for approval at Stockport’s central area committee at the end of July, and were then approved at planning committee last week (14 August).

A new £350m sustainable neighbourhood in Stockport has been given the green light / Credit: Supplied

Located on land either side of King Street West and next to the historic viaduct, the £350m mixed residential neighbourhood – which includes many affordable properties – is expected to ‘breathe life’ back into what was once a ‘thriving’ area under the railway arches, connecting Stockport Interchange with nearby communities in the process.

The plans will deliver approximately 1,300 new high-quality homes to suit existing residents and new homeowners moving into the Greater Manchester town in the next decade.

There’ll be be a mix of residential properties, including build-to-rent and owner-occupier – with a range of sizes to meet the needs of different households.   

The development is also centred around ‘vibrant’ public spaces where people can meet and relax outdoors, helping to improve the wellbeing of residents, while a pedestrian-only street will run through the centre, again to encourage interaction. 

“We’re not adopting a one-size-fits-all approach at Stockport 8,” explained Catherine Chilvers, who is the Managing Director of Stockport MDC.

“Instead, we are investing in high-quality and energy- efficient housing that offers so much more for people at all stages of life. 

“The development sets the bar high for town centre living, creating a considered neighbourhood for residents along with leisure and employment opportunities, while outdoor squares, with a multitude of uses, will allow people to feel connected and enable families to grow.”

Read more:

The first phase of Stockport 8 is due to start on site in 2026 and complete in 2028, with the next phase expected to commence in 2029.

Featured Image – Supplied

Property

Comedy nights, run clubs, and resident parties – why The Castings is Manchester’s most social city centre neighbourhood

Emily Sergeant Emily Sergeant The Castings neighbourhood parties and events Manchester

Manchester is a city full of opportunity – and The Castings is the perfect place to live to experience all it has to offer.

As the bustling hub of the north – and, arguably, the UK’s ‘second’ city, depending on who you ask – Manchester has firmly cemented itself as being somewhere people of all walks of life want to live, thanks to the wealth of live music, sport, nightlife, and so much more.

And for those who want to get amongst it, one of Manchester’s newest city centre neighbourhoods, The Castings, has a social life built right in, ready for residents to make the most of.

Currently rated number one on HomeViews, it has been voted by its residents as the best place to live in the city.

And it recently celebrated its first birthday too, in one of the ways it knows best, of course – with a free party for all residents.

A glimpse into life at The Castings’ stunning lifestyle-led apartments / Credit: The Manc Group

If you were unfamiliar with The Castings until now, it’s a stunning community made up of 352 apartments to rent in Piccadilly East.

With its range of studio, one, two, and three-bedroom homes, The Castings’ design-led spaces are inspired by industrial shapes, flowing forms, and molten textures.

As well as its stunning apartments, the lifestyle-led development also features a fitness studio, high-spec gym, games room, private dining spaces, a co-working hub, and a 21st-floor rooftop terrace with panoramic views of Manchester.

castings fitness facilities mcr
the castings socials manchester
The Castings is one of Manchester’s most social city centre neighbourhoods / Credit: The Castings

It sits in the heart of Piccadilly East is a neighbourhood often touted as Manchester’s next-generation, and named by The Sunday Times as one of the UK’s best places to live and The Castings has been ‘bringing new life’ to this up-and-coming area near Manchester Piccadilly station ever since it launched it last summer.

Even though Piccadilly East – which is conveniently-adjacent to Ancoats, New Islington, and the Northern Quarter – is already home to some of Manchester’s most popular food, drink, and live entertainment venues, residents at The Castings don’t even need to leave the comfort of their own community to get involved with a wide variety of events and make some new friends along the way.

In just the year since the first residents moved into The Castings, it has hosted everything from live comedy nights to regular yoga and fitness sessions, run clubs, and seasonal resident ‘socials’.

One of the biggest highlights in The Castings’ social calendar so far has to be the recent ‘Spring Social’, which helped welcome the new season in style, complete with an ice cream van, DJs, big Jenga, and lots and lots of pizza, making it a ‘standout’ moment of the year.

If The Castings sounds like somewhere you’d love to live, then the final few apartments are still remaining, and you can head online to book a viewing now.

Find out more and book a viewing here.

Read more:

For all the latest news, events and goings on in Greater Manchester, subscribe to The Manc newsletter HERE.

Featured Image – The Castings (supplied) / The Manc Group

More Property

Move Altrincham Leisure Centre reopening date confirmed

Boroughs

Relaunch date revealed for majorly revamped Altrincham Leisure Centre

Houses

News

Britain’s top five neighbour ‘red flags’ revealed in an eye-opening new survey

Outside Salford Lads and Girls Club

Art & Culture

Salford Lads and Girls Club to receive lifeline funding grant for ‘essential repairs’

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches